Genki Connections

Genki Connections
A publication of Keiro | July 2016
Hundreds Participate at
Keiro‘s Genki Conference
in Pasadena
“Our community, especially adult kids with aging parents, really
needs to take advantage of Keiro programs like this…” began Ron
Dyo, panelist at Keiro’s Genki Conference: Caregiver’s Edition in
Pasadena on Saturday, June 11. Dyo and his wife Cindy attended
three separate caregiver conferences offered by Keiro prior to
Cindy’s mother coming to live with them in 2005. Dyo shared their
experiences, describing cooking and modifying their two-story
home to accommodate his mother-in-law. He also shared when
her care exceeded their capacity at home and about making the
difficult decision four years later to seek support through facilitybased care near their residence. Following their panel discussion,
“My Caregiving Story,” Dyo and fellow panelist, Chris Naito, were
approached by several conference participants. Their personal
experiences and willingness to share insights and tips, in the spirit
of helping current and future caregivers, were a central theme of
the conference, combined with providing access to information
and resources.
The Genki Conference: Caregiver’s Edition was co-presented by
Keiro and community partners, Pasadena Buddhist Temple, First
Presbyterian Church of Altadena, Pasadena Japanese Cultural
Institute, and Pasadena Nikkei Seniors to a capacity crowd of over
200, at the Pasadena Buddhist Temple. The all-volunteer conference
organizing committee comprised of co-presenting organization
members assisted Keiro in determining specific content for the
conference. In addition, co-presenting organizations recruited
volunteers to provide event support.
Speakers from Alzheimer’s Greater Los Angeles, Bet Tzedek Legal
Services, Center for Health Care Rights, Family Caregiver Alliance,
and Millennia Personal Care Services, along with representatives
from Keiro plus 22 health-related agencies and long-term care
services provided resources and information to conference
participants. Attorneys Nathan Watanabe and Staci Yamashita-Ida,
and pharmacist Sheila Takayesu, provided estate planning and
pharmacy consultations, respectively. All conference participants
were offered complimentary stroke and fitness screenings provided
by Independence at Home SCAN Health Plan.
The Genki Conference: Caregiver’s Edition is just one example of
Keiro’s work in collaboration with various organizations, temples,
churches, and other individuals to present meaningful and timely
programming which furthers our mission of enhancing the quality
of senior life in Our Community. 97 percent of people 65 and
older are aging at home rather than in a nursing facility (2010 U.S.
Census) and the National Center on Caregiving reports 90 percent
of caregiving for U.S. adults is provided by family members or
informal caregivers.
Keiro’s Genki Conference: Caregiver’s Edition was free to the
community and made possible in part through event sponsors:
Northstar Senior Living, Aspen Skilled Healthcare, Independence
at Home by SCAN, with support from Sierra Madre Issei Memorial
Foundation, Keiro’s Community Partners, donors, and volunteers.
Photos and Conference presentations are available at:
www.keiro.org/caregiver-conference.
Keiro Going Forward
Following 22 years of dedicated, compassionate service to seniors
in Our Community, Shawn Miyake retired from Keiro. His welldeserved retirement began June 30, 2016.
Shawn Miyake has provided invaluable care for our loved ones—
for more than two decades at the helm of Keiro. We extend our
deepest gratitude to Shawn for his commitment and years of
service to Keiro, and the lasting impact his work has had on
Japanese American and Japanese seniors and families.
As you are aware, earlier this year, Keiro repositioned its focus
from operating long-term healthcare facilities to programmatically
supporting thousands of Japanese American and Japanese
older adults in Southern California. The organization is now
expanding its reach from serving the 600 residents of its four
former healthcare facilities, to serving the 70,000 older adults in
our Japanese American and Japanese community who live in Los
Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties.
As Keiro moves forward and as management needs shift following
the recent sale of our facilities, the organization will conduct
an extensive search for a new president & CEO with the skills,
background and experience needed to guide the organization into
the future. Keiro is in the process of engaging a firm to assist in
its search for a new executive. With the firm’s guidance, Keiro will
recruit a high-level individual well-poised to lead the organization
for years to come.
前進する敬老
我々のコミュニティーの高齢者へ、献身的で思いやりに溢れた
業務を22年間遂行してきた理事長兼最高経営責任者ショーン・
ミヤケ氏が、2016年6月30日を最後に引退しました。
ショーン・ミヤケ氏は、敬老の指揮において20年以上、我々が
愛する人々にかけがえのない介護を提供しました。敬老での何
年もの業務とその強い決意、そして日系米国人および日本人高
齢者とその家族に末長く続くような影響を与えた業績に深く感
謝します。
皆様のご承知のように、敬老は、今年の初めに長期介護施設の
運営から離れ、南カリフォルニアに住む何千人という日系米国
人および日本人高齢者をプログラムを通して支援するというこ
とに焦点を転換しました。4軒の旧施設で600人にサービスを提
供することから、ロサンゼルス、オレンジ、ベンチュラ各郡に
住む日系米国人および日本人コミュニティーにおける7万人の高
齢者にサービスを提供することへと転換し、その対象範囲を拡
大しつつあります。
敬老は施設売却に続いて、前進し管理体制も変更が必要となる
につれ、その組織を将来へと導くために必要な技能、経歴、
経験を有する新理事長兼CEOを求めて広範囲な探索を行ってい
The Keiro Board of Directors has
appointed Gene Kanamori to
serve as interim president & CEO
while the search process for the
new president & CEO is underway.
Having served as Keiro’s Director
of Administration and Human
Resources for the past 10 years, the
Board knows that Kanamori is a
proven leader and the best choice
for ensuring that Keiro’s services
and programs continue during
this transition.
Gene Kanamori
Interim President & CEO, Keiro
We recognize this is a natural point for change and important next
step in our organization’s evolution and we are highly focused
on recruiting a strong leader who will embody Keiro’s values and
vision for the future, upholding Keiro’s mission to enhance the
quality of life for seniors in Our Community.
Our thanks for your ongoing support of Keiro. As always, we will
continue to share updates and information regarding the future
of the organization. We appreciate your support and invite your
continued participation, joining us, and helping Keiro move
forward, continuing and expanding our work to helping older
adults in Our Community age the way they choose.
ます。敬老は新理事長を探すための支援を行う企業と協力中で
す。この企業の助言を得て、将来にわたって敬老を先導する高
レベルで適切な人材を採用することになります。
これは変化に伴う当然の成り行きで、敬老の進化のための重要
なステップです。我々のコミュニティーの高齢者の生活の質を
向上させるという敬老のミッションを支持し、敬老の価値観と
将来へのビジョンを具体化する強いリーダーを採用することに
焦点を絞っています。
敬老理事会は、新理事長兼CEOを探している間、ジーン・カナモ
リ氏を暫定理事長兼CEOに任命しました。カナモリ氏は、過去10
年間敬老の運営および人事部長を務めており、理事会も彼が証
明済みのリーダーであり、この移行期間中に敬老の各種サービ
スとプログラムを保証するために最善の選択であると認識して
います。
皆様の途絶えることの無いご支援に感謝いたします。従来どお
り、皆様に敬老の未来に関する新たな情報の提供と更新をさせ
ていただきます。今後も、我々のコミュニティーの高齢者が自
ら選ぶ手段で歳を重ねていけるよう、そして、敬老が前進し続
けることができるよう、皆様の変わらぬご支援をお願い申し上
げます。
Internships: Developing and
Inspiring Future Leaders
by Heather Harada
In 2005, while a college student, I
participated in the Nikkei Community
Internship (NCI) program. For two
months during the summer, I interned
at the Japanese American Services of the
East Bay, now J-Sei, in Berkeley, CA. In
addition to working on projects, I also
accompanied then-Executive Director
Keiro’s 2016 NCI intern,
Laura Takeuchi to meetings with other
Channing Lou with
aging services organizations throughout Heather Harada
the Bay Area. It was a really eye-opening
experience, going from being a participant in Japanese American
community organizations to learning how they are run. Once a
week, we also visited other community organizations and met with
their leadership, both in the Bay Area and Southern California.
Supporting OCO and Tanaka
Farms Harvesting Hope 2016
On March 11, 2011, people around the world watched in despair
as a 9.0 magnitude earthquake rocked the country of Japan. Often
referred to as the ‘Great East Japan earthquake’ or the ‘Tohoku
Earthquake’, it quickly claimed the lives of almost 16,000 people,
injured more than 6,000, left 2,500 missing and displaced more
than 340,000 individuals.
More than 5,000 miles away in Orange County, Farmer Glen
Tanaka witnessed the destruction and aftermath of the earthquake
and pursuing tsunami. Seeing images of farmland being torn apart,
he, alongside the Orange Coast Optimist Club, sponsored the first
annual ‘Walk the Farm’ fundraiser. For the past 5 years, the ‘Walk
the Farm’ fundraiser has helped send financial and emotional
support to Japanese farmers who have suffered from the effects of
the Tohoku Earthquake.
Keiro is pleased to continue our support of this wonderful event.
This year Keiro staff and interns volunteered at the Walk engaging
participants by distributing carrots and sharing information about
Keiro’s current programs and future direction. Also joining Keiro
at the Walk and sharing a booth to distribute information, was the
Arthritis Foundation, one of our partners.
Four years ago, Keiro hosted its first NCI intern and continues
to host one each summer. It’s wonderful to see this program
continuing to expand the younger generation’s experiences in the
community. I enjoy meeting the interns each year as well, even
though they often say “wow, you participated a long time ago.”
(It just shows the longevity and continued value of NCI).
2016 Keiro interns Jamie Yabuno (far left) and Jeremy Tuggy
(center) working with Keiro staff at Genki Conference: Caregiver’s
Edition on June 11th in Pasadena
In addition to NCI, Keiro hosts several other interns from
different programs each year. I got my start at Keiro as a graduate
student intern five years ago through Keiro’s partnership with
the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at USC, and worked
on several interesting projects, including a community needs
assessment, policies/procedures and licensing issues for the
former retirement home, and community health education
programs. Keiro’s internship program provides valuable work
experience for those interested in health care and aging services
as well as community non-profits.
Keiro appreciates and celebrates the many organizations and
groups that support and build community. We value collaboration
and welcome partnership opportunities to support the wellbeing of
Our Community.
As part of our mission to enhance the quality of senior life in
Our Community, Keiro helps to develop students and young
adults who show promise in furthering our mission through their
professional and personal lives. Since 2002, Keiro has supported
over 30 interns by providing a meaningful work experience and a
deeper understanding of the Japanese American community.
Visit www.keiro.org/partner/collaborating-organizations/ to see a
list of Collaborating Organizations and learn more about how you
can get involved.
Read more articles like these on our new Genki Living Blog at
www.genkiliving.org.
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Organization
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PAID
Los Angeles, CA
Permit No. 32672
420 East Third Street, Suite 1000
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Stay connected with Keiro:
www.keiro.org
Genki
Connections
Keiro in the
Community
A publication of Keiro
JACCC’s 36th Anniversary Celebration & Awards, June 11, 2016
To subscribe to Genki Connections, to correct
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send comments or questions, please contact
Resource Development through any of the
following ways:
Phone:213.873.5700
E-mail:[email protected]
Fax:213.873.5799
Mail: Genki Connections
Keiro
420 East Third Street, Suite 1000
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Keiro appreciates and
celebrates the many
organizations and groups
that support and build
community. We value
collaboration and welcome
partnership opportunities
to support the wellbeing of
Our Community.
Keiro is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3)
organization dedicated to enhancing the
quality of senior life in Our Community.
Our organization provides resources, tools,
and culturally sensitive programs to help
older adults age on their own terms and live
with dignity, vitality and confidence. We also
support caregivers with problem-solving
approaches to manage some of their
toughest challenges.
To see a list of Collaborating
Organizations:
www.keiro.org/partner
JACCC’s 36th Anniversary Celebration & Awards, June 11, 2016

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